This invention generally relates to puzzles that are assembled by matching assembly information on adjacent cards and, more particularly, to the type of puzzle in which a picture is formed through the correct responses to a quiz or set of quiz-like associations.
Numerous puzzles and games provide people of all ages with many hours of entertainment, but provide very little if any educational experience. However, educational experience gained from memorizing facts, reading flash cards or rote learning of any kind often involves mind-numbing drill which can destroy interest and motivation for learning. Furthermore, educational experience of this type usually requires outside assistance for direction, encouragement and grading.
Although teachers have long recognized the usefulness of drill, drill as such has been downgraded in many educational circles because it is associated with old-style, authoritarian methods, and because it often fails to stimulate interest in the learner. This invention takes into account both the usefulness of drill and the importance of interest arousal. This invention can serve the repetitive function of drill, but it can also serve to stimulate and to motivate the learner by providing a sense of accomplishment and pleasure as the picture takes shape and finally is completed when all the correct associations have been made.
The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel puzzle that has the combined benefits of being educational, entertaining, self-teaching and self-correcting. The puzzle can be made to give educational experience on any subject such as math, history, language, sports, literature, etc. and on any achievement level. The formation of a picture through the correct responses to a quiz or matching of quiz-like associations provides entertainment. Self-teaching is achieved through the process of reading, thinking, searching among alternatives and responding without outside assistance. Self-correction occurs when the incorrect formation of the picture is observed, thus indicating incorrect responses to the educational material.
Several known picture and quiz-type puzzles require apparatus to accommodate part of the quiz and response information, in addition to the puzzle pieces. U.S. Pat. No. 1,701,557 (D. Clinch et al, Feb. 12, 1929) requires a column of questions or instructions on a separate folder, in addition to the puzzle pieces. U.S. Pat. No. 2,481,109 (M. C. Grace, Sept. 6, 1949) requires a set of cards that contain information, in addition to the puzzle pieces. Tray Puzzles (currently manufactured by Ideal School Supply Co.) require an answer tray, in addition to the puzzle pieces.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide apparatus which incorporates all quiz and response information or quiz-like information on the puzzle pieces. This has the advantage of simplifying the apparatus over these previously known puzzles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,214 (A. Sutherland, Mar. 2, 1965) describes a method that includes all quiz and response information on the puzzle pieces, but this method provides an area no larger than the picture segments. This greatly restricts the amount of quiz and response information necessary for educational value, particularly for puzzles comprising a large number of pieces.
Accordingly, another object of this invention is to provide a considerably larger area on each puzzle piece than the picture segment; the area does not decrease for puzzles comprising a large number of pieces. This enables the quiz and response information or quiz-like information to be in the form of pictures, sentences, paragraphs and brief stories, which can greatly expand and improve the educational value.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a puzzle that is simple and economical to produce. This makes it possible for more people to afford this type of educational puzzle over other known educational puzzles.
Another important advantage of this invention is the ease of handling and storing the puzzle pieces, since they are in the form of cards (similar to ordinary playing cards). This would appeal to the people who enjoy the manipulating of playing cards.
Although this puzzle is ideally suited for one person, several people can play as a cooperative or competitive game. Each player can be assigned to assemble a particular portion of the puzzle or points can be awarded to the player who finds the correct match.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from a consideration of the summary and the description of the several forms of this invention.